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mindcandy..like you , i do most of my own work. i added a 1/2 bath to a 90 year old home and had to support the main stack. i agree that old CI is subject to cracking when using a snap cutter, but it didn't when i removed a small section and inserted a fitting to continue the stack but provide for a new sink. get as much info as you can about banded no hub couplings. these are different fom the Fernco non banded fittings sold by HD. you also have to be mindful of which banded coupling to use as plastic, old CI and new CI are all different wall thicknesses and the banded couplings are designed for the specific material to which they are applied. when joining plastic to CI, be sure to use banded couplings designed for that application. and i've used a $40 Ryobi 4 1/2" angle grinder to cut CI from 11/2" to 4". Eye protection is an absolute necessity and it can be noisy. good luck.

there's a solution to every problem.....you just have to be willing to find it.

Thanks .. a 4 1/2" grinder is only $170 (plus a bunch of wheels) .. that's a better deal. Also looks like Fernco sells the couplings online to "regular folk" (if not, I'll order through work anyway), and I can get pipe and other parts from another online vendor.

I know you "pros" probably hate it, but the Internet is great when it comes to this specialty stuff .. with one click, we can get the parts that would otherwise require a trip to the supply house (where we'd be unlikely to get any help at all as a non-business customer).

Fellow Plumbers,

mindcandy has exposed us to the internet. "We 'pros', as he said, only exist because the suppliers help us. Yea, well.... he can do his plumbing anyway he wants, he was warned. I know, I'm I'm an ***.

This is why I am against helping homeowners. Guys like this have no respect for our trade.

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This is why I am against helping homeowners. Guys like this have no respect for our trade.

Hey now... not all homeowners are guys like this.

I know that there's a whole lot more to my job that people might expect, and that's why I was hired. I expect the same from pros in other lines of work and know I've got tons to learn from them if they take the time to teach.

I ask questions here because I value the opinions of those in the trades.

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I believe if you read back through the threads you will see dog is often helpful to homeowners who ask questions without being so condescending to those they are asking advise from. Sometimes it is all about attitude and you may reap what you sow.

This is why I am against helping homeowners. Guys like this have no respect for our trade.

Perhaps what makes so many homeowners distrust plumbers is the attitude that &quot;oh .. we need to do that for you&quot;. How did you learn your trade? I'm sure you probably went out on a limb and made a few mistakes yourself.

I own the house, I live here alone, and any mistake I make .. I'll deal with.

When I was 16, I had to either learn to fix my car myself -- or walk. And learn, I did. Nowdays, I'd rather replace my own car parts -- even though it's under warrenty -- just because it's easier and faster than dealing with taking time off work, getting a ride, etc.

Now the same is true with my plumbing, electrical, or whatever. I could take a few days off work to sit around to let a &quot;sometime between 8 and 5&quot; tradesperson into my house, and sit around while they work.

I'm not disputing that you could get it right the first time in 1/3 the time .. but I get it one on MY time (eventually), at 1/3 the cost -- and I learn how to do it right the NEXT time. As the proverb goes .. "teach a man to fish...

get as much info as you can about banded no hub couplings. these are different fom the Fernco non banded fittings sold by HD.

Thanks .. I trust HomeDespot about as far as one of their associates would walk -- which isn't far ..

I was looking at standardplumbing's no-hub CI fittings which appear as you describe -- and was going to install a no-hub CI wye in place of the removed section .. and deal with the CI-plastic transition on the branch.

Thanks .. I trust HomeDespot about as far as one of their associates would walk -- which isn't far ..

I was looking at standardplumbing's no-hub CI fittings which appear as you describe -- and was going to install a no-hub CI wye in place of the removed section .. and deal with the CI-plastic transition on the branch.

Keep in mind the No-Hub coupling is not listed or approved as a coupling between cast-iron and plastic while the Fernco coupling is.

Mark

"Somewhere a Village is Missing Twelve Idiots!" - Casey Anthony

I never lost a cent on the jobs I didn't get!

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toutahnow...is that a code issue? in looking at unbanded fernco fittings, they seem to be less substantial than their banded counterparts. in transitioning from CI to plastic, would using a banded coupling be a code violation? thanks for the info.

there's a solution to every problem.....you just have to be willing to find it.

toutahnow...is that a code issue? in looking at unbanded fernco fittings, they seem to be less substantial than their banded counterparts. in transitioning from CI to plastic, would using a banded coupling be a code violation? thanks for the info.

Yes if the manufacturer wants their products approved for use under the UPC or the IPC they must be listed for that use by an approved listing agency. Some jurisdictions will allow you to use No-Hub couplings on plastic up to 2" but the truth of the matter is they are not made to be used on plastic. Above 2" the OD of the plastic pipe and the No-Hub pipe become even greater and I know of no jurisdiction which allows their use on plastic.

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All code issues aside, banded mechanical joint clamps just plain dont work well on plastic C/I transitions. The fact that the outside diameters of ABS/PVC are different than cast iron makes it tough to get the coupling on evenly. That means it may leak, or just look horrible, or both.

a no nub band is designed for no hub piping. true we have used it on 2'' and smaller plastic.

a transition coupling/ no hub band that is labeled for use on cast to plastic is acceptable. the ones i buy are made by mission rubber or fernco. they are shielded for use indoors and can be all rubber for use outdoors underground.

a prime example is a band used to connect a tub 1.5'' brass tailpiece to a 2'' no hub trap.

there was a company by the name of cremco, from canada, that made a hard rubber non- shielded coupling. i have a few left and would love to buy more. they were great for transition between old and new cast to no-hub. only issue is they don't fold over for rolling them onto a tight connection.

rick.

phoebe it is

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There is also a product called a "swifty zip coupling" that is much like a fernco, but has a stainless steel jacket for rigidity. They make them in alot of styles, including 3" cast iron to 3" plastic.

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toutahnow...In watching many episodes of This Old House, I've seen many bath renovations where plastic is the soil stack material. However, when the waste line travels through a wall cavity on its way to the basement and the house trap, they change to CI to minimize the noise originating in the stack as it travels through a living part of the house. So, the closet bend is plastic leading to the plastic soil stack. Once the stack penetrates the top plate of the next floor down, the waste line, usually 4", transitions to Ci to minimize noise originating in the stack. As the stack penetrates the bottom plate of the lower floor, it transitions back to plastic, again on its way to the house trap. What connectors might they be using to acomplish this? Thanks.

there's a solution to every problem.....you just have to be willing to find it.

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You can just use a fernco or a Zip fitting as long as its not buried to go from cast to plastic, copper to plastic, and even cast to cast if you want. You can connect pretty much anything as long as it doesn't have to be pressure.
Tyler

toutahnow...In watching many episodes of This Old House, I've seen many bath renovations where plastic is the soil stack material. However, when the waste line travels through a wall cavity on its way to the basement and the house trap, they change to CI to minimize the noise originating in the stack as it travels through a living part of the house. So, the closet bend is plastic leading to the plastic soil stack. Once the stack penetrates the top plate of the next floor down, the waste line, usually 4", transitions to Ci to minimize noise originating in the stack. As the stack penetrates the bottom plate of the lower floor, it transitions back to plastic, again on its way to the house trap. What connectors might they be using to acomplish this? Thanks.

I prefer using products made by Mission. Here is a link to their Web Site:

As you review their site you will see what a large variety of couplings and transition fittings are available from Mission. However, remember the fittings are only legal if they are installed per their listing. If Mission says it is for 2" copper to 2" plastic that is the only way it is legal regardless of what you may think also fits.